The Twins Can't Ignore Kyler Fedko Much Longer... Right?

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Kyler Fedko has been on an absolute tear to start the 2026 season. And really, it's been happening in every facet of the game. At some point, the conversation has to shift from simply acknowledging how well Fedko is playing to asking a much bigger question: when does he get a shot?

Through his first 194 plate appearances with the St. Paul Saints, Fedko is hitting .286, with an outstanding .931 OPS. He's already launched 11 home runs, collected 23 extra-base hits, and added eight stolen bases for good measure. The production has been difficult to ignore.

While his strikeout rate remains a little higher than ideal (roughly 22%), he's doing enough damage when he makes contact (and drawing enough walks) to offset those concerns. For a player whose game has become increasingly centered around power, the overall offensive profile has been extremely encouraging.

The underlying batted-ball trends are interesting, as well. Fedko isn't the biggest player in professional baseball, but at 6 feet and 215 pounds, he's built like someone capable of generating legitimate power. More importantly, he's started leaning into those strengths. His fly-ball rate has increased by roughly five percentage points compared to where it was at Triple-A a season ago, and he's developed into a much heavier pull hitter. That's not always a positive for every player, but for someone with Fedko's strength and power potential, it appears to be part of a deliberate offensive adjustment.

And so far, it's working. The biggest reason Fedko started generating attention within the organization last season was because of his sudden power breakout. In 2024, he hit just three home runs across 77 games. One year later, that number exploded to 28. Whenever a player makes that kind of leap, there's always a question of whether it's sustainable or simply a one-year outlier. But the fact that Fedko already has 11 homers this season suggests the power surge was no fluke. Instead, it looks like he has fully embraced a power-first approach at the plate, and the results certainly support that conclusion.

Of course, what Fedko is doing offensively is only part of the story. There are a couple of other reasons why he deserves serious consideration for a major-league opportunity. The first is his defensive versatility. Fedko has logged extensive time at all three outfield positions this season and has yet to commit an error. On top of that, he's already recorded three outfield assists.

That combination of reliability and arm strength gives the Twins flexibility in how they could deploy him. He appears capable of handling either corner-outfield spot, and he has enough experience in center field to provide coverage there, as well. For a team that values defensive flexibility, that's a significant advantage.

The versatility doesn't stop in the outfield, either. Fedko has also seen limited action at both first base and second base. While those aren't likely to become his primary positions, the ability to move around the diamond only increases his value as a potential bench option or roster depth piece.

There's also an argument that Fedko fills a different organizational need than many of the Twins' other upper-level outfield prospects. Much of the club's outfield depth is left-handed. Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner and (once he’s healthy) Alan Roden all hit from the left side, while top prospects Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins, and Hendry Mendez are left-handed hitters, as well. Fedko, meanwhile, bats right-handed, giving him a profile that is somewhat unique among the organization's current outfield options.

That doesn't automatically make him a better prospect than those players, but it does make him an intriguing fit. If the Twins were looking to add another outfielder to the major-league roster, a right-handed bat with power, defensive versatility, and experience at Triple-A could complement the roster better than simply adding another left-handed hitter to the mix.

One issue here is that Fedko is not currently on the 40-man roster. But if he continues producing at this level, the combination of his performance, age, and right-handed bat could make it increasingly difficult for the organization to keep him in St. Paul. If the Twins needed immediate outfield help, giving Fedko an opportunity now could make more sense than waiting for a younger prospect to finish developing.

However, because he’s not on the 40-man roster, that means someone would have to go. The name that immediately stands out (in my mind) is James Outman. Outman hasn't provided much offensive production and has largely filled a role as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch-runner. While those skills certainly have value, it's fair to wonder whether Fedko's all-around game would provide more impact at this point.

It's probably too early for the organization to move on from Wallner, and it seems unlikely the Twins would sacrifice pitching depth or infield depth given the current state of those groups. That's what makes the roster discussion complicated. But regardless of how the Twins ultimately choose to navigate it, Fedko is building an increasingly strong case for himself every day he stays in Triple-A. The offensive numbers are there, the power is real, and his defensive versatility is valuable.

At 26 years old, Fedko has reached the point where the organization should seriously consider finding out whether his game can translate to the next level. If Fedko keeps performing the way he has through the first two months of the season, it feels less like a question of if he'll get his opportunity and more like a question of when. For now, all he can do is keep producing, and that's exactly what he's been doing.

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[Dman]

I agree with the OP, but it feels like they won't add him until after deadline to me.  The reason I think that is they will want him to play regularly and if he is in Outman's role he likely won't.  Once the Twins give up on the season I think they'll add him. Fedko could handle all three spots and unlike Martin he can hit for power which makes him an appealing add IMO.

The other thing is there are a lot outfielders on the 40 man right now.  They kind of need to get to rid one of Outman and one of Wallner or Larnach before adding another one IMO. We'll see what happens.  He just needs to keep doing what he is doing and things will work out for him.

[WarPath1211]

I think Fedko has done enough to at least deserves a cup of coffee in the big leagues.

But with the 40-man so outfielder-heavy right now, I don't know if that chance will come with the Twins. The line is just really, really long to get young outfielders major league looks right now. Roden and Rodriguez deserve first crack once they are healthy due to performance and option clocks, and then you have Mendez already on the 40-man and doing well early in AAA. Then you have Wallner and Gonzalez, both struggling season-to-date in AAA but already on the 40-man so they can't be dismissed, and Walker Jenkins, who isn't on the 40-man yet but is the organization's top prospect, can't be dismissed.

All of the above guys, other than Wallner, are younger than Fedko and were good in the minors at a much younger age than Fedko. So even if the team, say, trades Larnach, releases Outman, and maybe we even factor in a possible late-season Buxton "injury" if the team is out of it, it's a tough path to a 40-man add and MLB time for Fedko.

It's worth mentioning also that Kreidler bats right-handed and can play outfield, so he'd be competition for Fedko as well.

 

[Road trip]

If they believed, he'd already be with the big club.

Maybe some other org believes in Fedko? Fedko could easily be packaged with an MLB trade piece (Jeffers, Ryan, whomever) to sweeten the pot to acquire whatever it is that this FO believes in.  Trade from excess, and the Twins certainly have excess corner outfielder prospects/suspects.

[karcherd]

21 minutes ago, WarPath1211 said:

It's worth mentioning also that Kreidler bats right-handed and can play outfield, so he'd be competition for Fedko as well.

They played Clemens in CF and had Bell at 1B with Kreidler sitting on the bench.  I think that says everything you need to know about where Kreidler sits on the pecking order in CF.  Fedko could easily replace him.

[Cory Engelhardt]

I wouldn't take him over most anyone in the majors right now, and I also wouldn't bring him up before Gonzalez or even when Jenkins is healthy. It's a numbers game. He is a good story, and cheer for guys like that. 

[Over The Hill Again]

Fedko for Outman? Yes please. 

[mikelink45]

Promote him or trade him.  The A's might like another of our rejected power hitters to go with Rooker.

[LA Vikes Fan]

So if we go Fedko for Outman, where and how often does Fedko play? It would make sense if the idea is to rotate 3 guys (Larnach, Martin, Fedko) through LF and RF, with Fedko also getting some time at 1B. It doesn't make sense to have Fedko be a late inning pinch runner/defensive role like Outman is now. That role would go to Kreidler.  This would also limit the ABs for Clemens some and would potentially move Bell down the pecking order as well. All makes sense to me. 

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

So if we go Fedko for Outman, where and how often does Fedko play? It would make sense if the idea is to rotate 3 guys (Larnach, Martin, Fedko) through LF and RF, with Fedko also getting some time at 1B. It doesn't make sense to have Fedko be a late inning pinch runner/defensive role like Outman is now. That role would go to Kreidler.  This would also limit the ABs for Clemens some and would potentially move Bell down the pecking order as well. All makes sense to me. 

Why not? He’s 26……part time is better than nothing. He can play CF when Burton isn’t. Left once a week, and right. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[TJSweens]

42 minutes ago, WarPath1211 said:

All of the above guys, other than Wallner, are younger than Fedko and were good in the minors at a much younger age than Fedko. 

 

Outman peaked as a rookie and has gone steadily down hill ever since. His current OPS is below .500. Even when Buck was DH because of hip strain, they played Clemmens in CF instead of Outman. I don't think his age or how young he was when he was good matters at this point. Release Outman and give his roster spot to Fedko. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

See above. 

[bean5302]

This season's DaShawn Keirsey please stand up! Keirsey through June 4th, 2024 (called up just before then).

a27 - 213PA - .302/.390/.538 OPS .928 wRC+ 135, 12.7% BB, 23.5% K, ISO .236 (Keirsey)
vs
a26 - 199PA - .287/.372/.561 OPS .933 wRC+ 134, 10.6% BB, 21.6% K, ISO .275 (Fedko)

Projection tools have Fedko well below league average at the plate for good reason. He's 26 and he's moved very slowly through the minors with multiple hiccups along the way. A college draft pick who is going to make an impact typically takes 2-3 years. Fedko is in year 6. That's plenty of time to polish, polish, polish what talent a guy has. It takes more than polish to be successful at MLB, though. It takes talent. Both have to be there.

His xwOBA in AAA is dramatically lower than actual wOBA, his EV is good for AAA, but projecting it to MLB puts him probably bottom quartile (88mph-ish).

I don't have any problems playing Fedko 2x per week for 3 plate appearances or whatever Outman would get, but I don't see any real upside there.

[nicksaviking]

The fact that Outman is still on the roster pretty clearly shows they are still very concerned about justifying last summer's least noticed trade. 

[mrguy]

6 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The fact that Outman is still on the roster pretty clearly shows they are still very concerned about justifying last summer's least noticed trade. 

I mean, so far, doesn't seem like either team really benefitted from that trade, so I don't think anyone really will care if they cut him loose at this point

[DocBauer]

 

 

IMO, the problem is the FO and internal scouting. While they are WAY closer to the organization than us, they seem blind at times to INTERNAL talent. A recent example might be Laweryson. He had a great MILB career, but was IGNORED as a BP piece for a potential re-build late in 2025. Instead of bringing him up immediately for a SHOT, they ran with "used to be's" to flesh out the roster. Laweryson only got a couple weeks late...looked solid...and then was released.

THEN, they picked him back up and he threw well enough to make the opening day roster this season. 

It's one thing to have a guy from independent ball like McCusker who had obvious questions about holes in his overall game being given an opportunity. But IMO that is VERY DIFFERENT from having an INTERNAL project that YOU drafted, and stuck with! 

At age 25 Fedko SUDDENLY seemed to put all together. Unlike McCusker, for example, he's always maintained a solid OB% and a solid defensive profile. At 25yo, he wasn't exactly ancient for a prospect. After a slow debut in '26 due to limited AB, he's basically exploded to show '25 wasn't an illusion. He's HITTING, he's getting OB, he's slugging, he has a .933 OPS. He can play a solid OF at the corners, an acceptable CF...we're currently playing Clemens in CF for goodness sake...and has 1B experience. 

Meanwhile, we're playing with a 12 and 1/2 roster with Outman.

Someone tell me WHY? And this is what confuses me and pisses me off.

Not that long ago, the roster was 25. For a couple of seasons in the 90's management forced teams to play with 24. But until fairly recently...maybe a decade or two ago...teams still played with a 10-11 man pitching staff. Again, fairly recently overall, teams had 14 or 15 position players. Before the universal DH came in to affect, NL teams might carry a true veteran PH, or a PR. 

In the 80's and 90's, just for reflection purposes, Tom Kelly used to play EVERYONE once in a while to make sure their head was in the game, and they'd be prepared to hopefully perform when called on.

So tell me when in the hell did the Twins decide that playing with 12 and 1/2 players actually made sense??!!

In today's game, EVERY position player is important. It's ridiculous that we are committed to a roster with less than that. We often debate about bringing up a prospect to take over the Outman role. But that's the PROBLEM! 

There SHOULDNT be an OUTMAN ROLE, in the same way there never should have been a Keirsey role in 2025.

162 games, 13 position players, 2 who are always catchers, leaves 3 other spots to fill. It's incompetence for a FO to not fill those final 3 spots with players who might contribute. And THEN, it's up to the manager to field the best lineup.

So there should NOT BE an "Outman" role to fill. It would be HARD for Fedko to be worse than Outman. But it would be up to Shelton to actually PLAY him, which he should. Especially with the offense struggling at times. Any DECENT manager would use his entire 13 man roster. The fact that Shelton isn't using Outman says all you need to know. 

If Fedko comes up and is given a REAL opportunity to play, he may swim or sink. But this lineup needs HELP. And you DON'T KNOW if you have a potentially solid 4th OF UNLESS you give him an honest opportunity. And you don't know if you have a solid ballplayer or not until you give them that honest chance.

It's on Zole to prove he's not a Falvey clone. And then it's on Shelton.

Remember when Castro joined the Twins as a 26yo FA? He turned out pretty good after a very mediocre career with the Tigers. So why doesn't Fedko get legitimate consideration at the same age, exploding as a 25yo, and seemingly ready for an opportunity at 26?

For that matter, Ben Ross, a fairly early draft pick, now 25yo, exploding at AA and still producing very well at AAA, does HE get consideration going forward? Or do the older Arcia, Kreidler, and Gray take precedence over a younger player with more upside?

 

[jorgenswest]

I would like to see Fedko improve his 3:1 strikeout walk ratio against right handed pitching. His swing strikes, called strike and out of zone percentages have not improved since his time in AAA last year. They are slightly worse.

I think he could help the Twins playing a corner against a left handed pitcher. He has played centerfield out of necessity when Rodriguez, Jenkins and Roden went down. He played a few games at 2B out of necessity. I don’t think those are spots he can play in the major leagues.

If they do want to bring him to play against left handed pitching in a corner I think they have to give up on the thought that he will be a complete player that you can count on to stay in the game against right handed pitching. I would give him more time. Maybe in the next two months he actually does improve of those swing rates. I’d that happens it is probably a sign he is managing the zone better against right handed pitching. Let’s not go the route of McCusker who really was tearing of AAA after a couple of months last year. Let’s give him time to become a player that will contribute for multiple years.

[chpettit19]

He'd be a pretty significant outlier if he became anything real at this point. But I'd rather see him or any other random AAA guy than Outman. And I'd rather they actually do some real testing of players in years where they aren't good enough to contend, even if those player's likely best-case scenario is a depth piece who never even reaches arbitration because they aren't worth more than the minimum. If you can find an actual 4th OFer or 5th OFer/1B who bounces back and forth between the bigs and AAA based on injuries for the minimum, that isn't a bad thing. If you can quit filling those roles with guys who cost more than the minimum, that's a good thing. Can Fedko be that? Don't know. Wouldn't bet on it, but why not at least see. The team is going nowhere this year. Outman's career is over. Make a kid's dream come true and see if there's something there.

[Mike Sixel]

28 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

I would like to see Fedko improve his 3:1 strikeout walk ratio against right handed pitching. His swing strikes, called strike and out of zone percentages have not improved since his time in AAA last year. They are slightly worse.

I think he could help the Twins playing a corner against a left handed pitcher. He has played centerfield out of necessity when Rodriguez, Jenkins and Roden went down. He played a few games at 2B out of necessity. I don’t think those are spots he can play in the major leagues.

If they do want to bring him to play against left handed pitching in a corner I think they have to give up on the thought that he will be a complete player that you can count on to stay in the game against right handed pitching. I would give him more time. Maybe in the next two months he actually does improve of those swing rates. I’d that happens it is probably a sign he is managing the zone better against right handed pitching. Let’s not go the route of McCusker who really was tearing of AAA after a couple of months last year. Let’s give him time to become a player that will contribute for multiple years.

He's 26.... What more time? 

[karcherd]

27 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

For that matter, Ben Ross, a fairly early draft pick, now 25yo, exploding at AA and still producing very well at AAA, does HE get consideration going forward? Or do the older Arcia, Kreidler, and Gray take precedence over a younger player with more upside?

This is my frustration, we have options to take over for any of these four players, that are offering minimal or no contributions.  Will a Fedko, Ross or even Gonzalez or Mendez give less production, I don't think it's even possible.  You say we are playing with a 12 1/2 man roster, I say it is more like 11,  Arcia and Kreidler are barely even seen.  Which again if you don't trust them to play, why are they on the roster.

[Mike Sixel]

12 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

He'd be a pretty significant outlier if he became anything real at this point. But I'd rather see him or any other random AAA guy than Outman. And I'd rather they actually do some real testing of players in years where they aren't good enough to contend, even if those player's likely best-case scenario is a depth piece who never even reaches arbitration because they aren't worth more than the minimum. If you can find an actual 4th OFer or 5th OFer/1B who bounces back and forth between the bigs and AAA based on injuries for the minimum, that isn't a bad thing. If you can quit filling those roles with guys who cost more than the minimum, that's a good thing. Can Fedko be that? Don't know. Wouldn't bet on it, but why not at least see. The team is going nowhere this year. Outman's career is over. Make a kid's dream come true and see if there's something there.

Also this. Test out guys in down years, like this one. 

[arby58]

58 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The fact that Outman is still on the roster pretty clearly shows they are still very concerned about justifying last summer's least noticed trade. 

Why? The GM who made the trade is gone, and Stewart (the traded) has done close to nothing for the Dodgers since the trade. Outman is on the roster for a very specific role, and I tend to agree he will have it and then be gone when one of the OFs with a future (Emma, Roden) is healthy.

[arby58]

20 minutes ago, karcherd said:

This is my frustration, we have options to take over for any of these four players, that are offering minimal or no contributions.  Will a Fedko, Ross or even Gonzalez or Mendez give less production, I don't think it's even possible.  You say we are playing with a 12 1/2 man roster, I say it is more like 11,  Arcia and Kreidler are barely even seen.  Which again if you don't trust them to play, why are they on the roster.

Because that is how rosters are constructed. Your 12 and 13 players on the roster aren't regulars, that's why they call them bench players.

[arby58]

34 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

And I'd rather they actually do some real testing of players in years where they aren't good enough to contend, even if those player's likely best-case scenario is a depth piece who never even reaches arbitration because they aren't worth more than the minimum. If you can find an actual 4th OFer or 5th OFer/1B who bounces back and forth between the bigs and AAA based on injuries for the minimum, that isn't a bad thing. If you can quit filling those roles with guys who cost more than the minimum, that's a good thing. Can Fedko be that? Don't know. Wouldn't bet on it, but why not at least see. The team is going nowhere this year. Outman's career is over. Make a kid's dream come true and see if there's something there.

The American League is down, and we're barely into June. Suggesting they 'aren't good enough to contend at this point in the season - far too soon. If so, you're sending a bad message to the rest of the roster. If they are out of it in August, fine - bring him/them up and play them. For now, some patience is required.

[Major League Ready]

IDK, I might be in LF on this one but I think Ben Ross might be more likely tom be called up.  He has a .990 OPS the last month.   He is also a good defender and can literally play any position except catcher.  I would much prefer to see him get a shot over Outman.  Ross has a low probability of sticking but Outman is a near zero probability.

[jorgenswest]

29 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

He's 26.... What more time? 

Why does age matter? Is there a certain age where he can’t get better? His swing rates are not improving over his time in AAA last year. I think they can get better but maybe at 26 it is too late. His swing rates are a result of really weak performance against right handed pitcher. I think he can get better against right handed pitching but maybe he can’t. He is 26.

The Twins could call him up and see how he does against major league left handed pitching. He would play sparingly as he hasn’t shown this year he can hit AAA right handed pitching. I believe he is a late bloomer. I would give him this year to improve that swing rates against righties. That work can’t happen if he is short side platoon in the majors.

I think McCusker is different. He was older and it didn’t look like any amount of time would result in a workable strikeout rate. He hit the ball really hard though. Maybe that would continue when he made contact in the majors. It didn’t. He was given his release. If Fedko comes up and ends this season passable against lefties and not playable on a corner against righties do the Twins then release him? He is a year older and they gave up the opportunity for him to let him develop against right handed pitching.

[1985Fan]

2 hours ago, WarPath1211 said:

Roden and Rodriguez deserve first crack once they are healthy due to performance and option clocks, and then you have Mendez already on the 40-man and doing well early in AAA

I don’t know how two injured players that weren’t really playing that well in a very short sample could be ahead of Fedko. Not only does Fedko have last seasons track record, but also way more AB’s this season, so that has to give Fedko a leg up on those guys. 
They should make the move now instead of later. Outman is of no value and no one will take him off waivers anyway. 

[karcherd]

16 minutes ago, 1985Fan said:

They should make the move now instead of later. Outman is of no value and no one will take him off waivers anyway. 

Maybe they could get cash considerations for him from someone desperate to claim him.

[Linus]

Based on roster decisions and leaving him exposed to the rule 5 last year, I think the Twins have already made up their mind on Fedko. 

[Sjoski]

The Twins are likely worried that against elite pitching, Fedko's 22% K-rate in AAA will turn into 30%+ in MLB. It’s a high-risk, low-reward option.

 Until Wallner proves he’s not worth protecting, Fedko stays on the farm.